Written Answers Wednesday 19 May 2010

Scottish Executive

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether dedicated funding is available to registered social landlords for the provision of telecare services.

Alex Neil: Funding for the Telecare Development Programme is distributed through local partnerships which take a strategic approach to the delivery of telecare services at local level, including through registered social landlords. There is no separate dedicated funding for registered social landlords.

  In March 2010, the Minister for Public Health and Sport announced funding of £4 million for telecare in 2010-11, building on the £16 million investment in telecare since 2006.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish a national strategy for older people’s housing.

Alex Neil: The Wider Planning for an Ageing Population report was published in March 2010, as part of the Reshaping Care programme, and proposes 27 actions for preparing for the housing aspects of the demographic changes ahead. One of the proposals was to publish a strategy for older people’s housing. We will be consulting shortly on all the proposals in the report, but anticipate proceeding to develop a strategy for older people’s housing in 2011.

Road Safety

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding the provision of school crossing patrols.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government does not provide any such guidance to local authorities. School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines are, however, made available to all local authorities by Road Safety GB. The guidelines include information for local authorities in respect of requests for new patrol sites and for reviewing existing patrol sites.

Road Safety

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has national criteria for the provision of school crossing patrols and, if so, what these are.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government does not provide any such criteria to local authorities. School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines are, however, made available to all local authorities by Road Safety GB. The guidelines include criteria for establishing school crossing patrol sites.